Mural to honor Topekan: Grant Cushinberry known for work to aid the poor

Published Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Topeka humanitarian Grant Cushinberry will be the focal point of the first panel of a mural wall at the intersection of S.W. 20th and Western streets.

The design for the Great Mural Wall of Topeka, an art project of the Chesney Park Neighborhood Improvement Association partially funded through the Weed and Seed Program, was unveiled Tuesday evening at Professional Martial Arts, 1900 S.W. Clay.

Chesney Park residents will paint the wall under the direction of mural artist David Lowenstein. The first panel has been developed in a collaborative effort between the artist and the community and focuses on the past and future of Chesney Park.

Tom Benaka, president of the Chesney Park NIA, and Jeff Alvarez, Weed and Seed coordinator, unveiled the design Tuesday.

Cushinberry is known for his support for the annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner and collecting food, clothing and other items and distributing them to the poor from his home on what he called "God's Little Half-Acre."